Life is Never Easy for these Street Peddlers, even with Mexican Independence Day Approaching
I made my biweekly stop at Banco Santander to withdraw cash from the ATM – no fees if one uses a Bank of America debit card. I take out the maximum – 6000 pesos, which is about $460 at today’s exchange rate. I use pesos for everything – but mostly food and gas, neither of which are cheap, even by American standards.
It’s a short drive down the hill, through a traffic circle and on to Avenida Constituyentes. At each stop light there are street peddlers and entertainers. The peddlers try to sell about everything imaginable; all of it about worthless to me. A firm shake of the head and they more on – as do the guys with the dirty water bottles wanting to clean the windshield.
The entertainers are jugglers – using anything from simple tennis balls to lit torches. They juggle alone or in pairs. The saddest are the small boys, often only about four years old, standing on their mother’s shoulders in the middle of an intersection, risking all those crazy drivers about to floor it once the light turns green. It’s a hapless way for little boys to live.
After passing all the human distractions in the roadway, to get to the bank, one has to make a U-turn. That’s where one finds the simple beggars – mostly old men and woman – too old to perform any stunts or sell any junk.
For them I keep a little plastic bag of all my spare pesos. I just grab a fist full and give it to them. It can’t amount to much, but it is something and they always seem grateful.
Today the old woman was there. I have seen her before and I always give her my change. But today and had none. I felt bad. Her eyes were lifeless as she walked on without expression.
When the light had changed, I did my U-turn, stopped at the bank and got my 6000 pesos. I planned next to do some shopping at Soriana, a large market, which required another U-turn.
The Old Woman Who I Give All Spare Pesos – Except for Today
I picked up my provisions for the week, tipped the bagger and the parking lot attendant and proceeded to my car. As I left the parking lot it occurred to me that I would have to again pass the old woman. I had 15 pesos in change in my pocket (about a buck). Wonderful, I thought.
However when I pulled into the left hand lane to make my final U-turn, the old woman had disappeared. A small girl had replaced her, yet I didn’t think her to be a beggar at first glance.
She was a beautiful little girl, about seven years old, with long black hair and big brown eyes. She wore a slightly worn flowered sweater, jeans and pink Nikes. She was well kept and clean.
As she approached my car I rolled down my window. She would get my 15 pesos, but before I could hand them to her she said in a quiet monotone voice “Por favor ayúdame. tengo hambre” (please help me, I hunger).
I gave her my change and she quickly stuffed it in her pocket and walked on with the same lifeless eyes and expressionless face of the old woman. Yet as my car was the last in the lane, she stopped and stood slightly behind it on the traffic island. I glanced in the side mirror by chance and her face was perfectly composed in my mirror.
A spontaneous smile came upon me, and as she looked up she must have seen me in the mirror as well – as a broad smile beamed across her face and her eyes became alive. For a few brief seconds there was this magical communication between us.
Then I drove off to do my U-turn. As I passed by her on the other side of the road, we looked directly at each other and that smile was still with us both. I thought to myself, how little effort it takes to brighten another’s day.
It’s haunting that so many children have to live this way here in México. Yet even under such hardships, the capacity for happiness, fleeting as it may be, still lives with them.
In retrospect, I hope that young child was not out on the streets alone and that someone was watching her – perhaps that old woman. Child kidnaps are a serious problem in México. Was she prompted to say what she said? I don’t care – no child should have to beg, juggle or hawk goods in the streets simply to eat.
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A year ago today I completed my cross country journey from Piney Point, Maryland to Eldorado Hills, California. They say time flies, but it seems like a lifetime ago. Boy do I miss California and my pool!
As next week is a holiday here in México, I have a chance to head back to Piney Point for a brief visit to check on my house. Although I’d really like to stay for Independence Day here in Querétaro, I can’t wait to get home. I haven’t made it to Piney Point since last Christmas. What an odd way to live!
